Dener Augusto De Sousa

1989/93 Portuguesa (BRA) 101 matches, 38 goals

1993 Grêmio (BRA) 28 matches, 4 goals

1994 Vasco De Gama (BRA) 17 matches, 5 goals

With the National Team :

2 caps

(Friendly matches: 2 caps)

1st cap: March 27, 1991 against Argentina (3-3)

Last cap: May 28, 1991 against Bulgaria (3-0)

U23: 9 caps

Dener Augusto de Sousa

Born on April 2, 1971 in São Paulo (BRA)

Died on April 18, 1994 in Rio de Janeiro (BRA)

Brazilian, Attacking-midfielder, Second Striker, 1.68m

Dener Augusto de Sousa was born on April 2, 1971 in São Paulo in the Vila Ede neighborhood, dreaming since his youngest age of playing football, he made his debut in a futsal club at the age of 11 before joining the youth team of the São Paulo FC club.

Dener was an excellent player, ahead of players his age, he had extraordinary speed and an extraordinary dribbling quality, in addition to a huge range of skills. He had this quality to play in small spaces thanks to futsal, but it was in large spaces that he wreaked the most havoc.

Playing attacking midfielder or second striker, he quickly became an attraction. Due to a lack of playing time, he left São Paulo FC for the Portuguesa club where he made his debut in 1989 at the age of 18. For his first match, he made a sombrero on his first touch of the ball and dribbled past the defender, for his second, he dodged a dangerous dribble. He gradually established himself in the first team.

At Portuguesa, he impressed his teammates enormously despite his poor behavior and not being at all suited to professional football, but his talent was so great. His teammates say that he was often late for training, and sometimes he didn't even show up. José Macia "Pepe" who was his coach and who also rubbed shoulders with Pelé at Santos would say: "Dener is the only player for whom I have made exceptions in my entire coaching career. From what I have experienced and seen play, he was the one who was closest to Pelé".

His talent seemed too great for the Portuguesa club and the offers came thick and fast, Corinthians made an offer, but it was finally Grêmio who had access to the player on loan in 1993 for 3 months. With his new club, he won the Rio Grande do Sul Championship, his first title, in 28 games, he scored 4 goals.

In total, the player would play 101 games for 38 goals with Portuguesa. Still linked to the club, he went on loan to Vasco De Gama where he played 17 games for 5 goals. And he posthumously won the Rio de Janeiro Championship.

On the weekend of April 16 and 17, 1994, Dener went to São Paulo to meet with the managers of the VfB Stuttgart club to negotiate his transfer. On the way back to his club's city, Dener, who was in the passenger seat, was involved in a terrible road accident that cost him his life, the driver of the vehicle having fallen asleep.

Thus, in 1994, at the age of 23, one of the greatest hopes in the history of Brazilian football passed away, a genius of the sport who never had the career he deserved for his talent. In 1991, he had the opportunity to play twice for Brazil, and according to many rumors, he should have been part of the Seleção for the 1994 World Cup.

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